


His Dreams Have Lost Some Grandeur Coming True

by Aishuu



Series: East Kingdoms Block Party [13]
Category: Juuni Kokki | Twelve Kingdoms
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post-Series, The Livejournal exodus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 15:24:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2393360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishuu/pseuds/Aishuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taiki struggles with the boredom that is government, and Gyousou catches him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Dreams Have Lost Some Grandeur Coming True

|    
Kouri pressed a hand over his mouth, hoping to hide the yawn he was unable to suppress any longer.  
  
When Gyousou had returned to his throne, Kouri had spent the first few weeks mainly in kirin form, trying to overcome his exhaustion. He rested at Gyousou's feet, and had been relatively content. But then his sense of responsibility had reared its ugly head, and he'd decided it was time to assume the pressing duties of the Saiho, which included administering his province as well as serving as a councilor for his master.  
  
He'd felt incompetent for several years before suddenly everything clicked, and he felt competent to tackle the tasks in front of him. He had the responsibility for his citizens, and did his best by them, but ultimately it was Gyousou who had to make the truly tough decisions. Taiki's responsibility was to temper his master's more expedient-oriented mind with compassion. Together, they made a good team, and people spoke of how lucky it was to have a kokki as Saiho.  
  
The next decade had been a pleasure as he finally realized his place in Tai. His mind, heavily influenced by the Japanese education he'd received in his formative years, sometimes had trouble figuring out the complex governing system, but he had been a diligent student for too long to shirk hard work. Occasionally he'd offer suggestions of what had worked over in Hourai, and a couple had even been adopted. The glow of achievement made him more comfortable, and that in turn made him better at his job.  
  
Then boredom set in.  
  
One day, while he was standing by his master's throne, he found his mind wandering away from the discussion on the creation of another school in the northernmost province. Instead, he started to think about how the Daishiguu needed to lose a few pounds since her robes were decidedly tight around her middle. In Hourai, pregnancy might have been the suspect, but that wasn't possible in this world. Too many dumplings were the culprit, he knew.  
  
And then he realized exactly what he was thinking, and felt ashamed that he'd let his mind stray. He forced himself to listen intently as the Daishito discussed the pros and cons of establishing the school in different cities.  
  
The incident was the first of many, and for a while Taiki worried about what his lack of attention to matters of state meant, but there were times when all he could focus on was how much his feet hurt, or wondering what he'd have for dinner. The Daisouhaku was particularly pompous and tended to make him want a nap, while the Taisai made him wonder if brains were a requirement for being on the court.  
  
A part of him wished he had just continued to attend court in full kirin form, because at least he'd be able to sleep, lying at his master's feet. But that wasn't appropriate, and he had to remain through the whole court sessions.  
  
Boredom wasn't such a bad thing, especially after the tumultuous period that had preceded this peace. Boredom was a sign that Tai was on the right course... but it was still difficult to deal with.  
  
This was a particularly tedious session, with the Daisouhaku arguing with the Taisai. He noticed Risai, usually extremely proper in her role as Daishiba, had lost interest in the discussion and was contemplating one of the nearby tapestries. He wished he could get away with such inattention, since there was plenty of art that it would be a pleasure to study, but since he was standing on the dais, any lapse would be immediately noticeable to the onlookers.  
  
Finally, thankfully, the court session wound to a close. The court officials left en mass as Gyousou dismissed graciously. Taiki noted his master's quirked eyebrow, and remained behind to see what he wanted. The time they'd spent together had familiarized Taiki with more subtle communication.  
  
"Am I boring you, Kouri?" Gyousou asked in a decidedly neutral voice.  
  
Kouri blushed, hanging his head so his hair fell over his face as a shield. "Any time spent with my master is time well spent."  
  
"But some time is better spent than other time?"   
  
Even though Taiki was pushing forty, Gyousou still had the ability to make him squirm. But maturity had lent him enough spine to stand up to his master. "Perhaps," he said. "I don't understand why we keep rehashing this argument. Nothing's changed in the last week."  
  
"I know. Or the week before." Gyousou suddenly grinned, transforming his face like a sunrise. "It is boring, isn't it?"  
  
There were times when it paid to be polite, and there were times when honesty was called for. This was one of those later cases. "I understand why it needs to be like this, but I wish it wasn't so monotonous."  
  
Gyousou laughed, that full-hearted bray that warmed Taiki's heart and entranced him. His master laughed too little, in his opinion. "You know, we can make a game of it if you want."  
  
"Oh?" Taiki tilted his head curiously, pleased to see his master so light-hearted.  
  
"How about wagering which minister will start the next fight? Or keeping track of what the most outrageous form of groveling is?"  
  
Taiki couldn't contain a giggle himself at that, and felt embarrassed to be making such a childish sound. He may look like a young man in his late teens, but he really was an adult. "Or counting how many times Daishito says 'imperative' in a session?"  
  
Gyousou nodded approvingly. "I suppose we're just going to have to make our own fun, and find small pleasures where we can. If you're not doing anything tonight, how about joining me for dinner? We can talk about anything you want."  
  
Taiki smiled, offering his hand Gyousou to help him rise.  
---


End file.
